I need to write this blog post, but I've been dreading getting around to it since last Wed.
So much has happened in the last week and a bit, that I hardly know where to begin. Everyone is doing great (save me, but that's to come.) Steph and Dean safely traveled to Bangkok this past weekend, along with the rest of the high school volleyball team members, for Logos' first ever international tournament. It was a humbling, but excellent experience all at the same time. (Kind of a microcausm of life out her ein general--lots of losing, but overall, a ton a great experienced.) Check out the Logos website for more details and pictures.
www.logoscambodia.org
Dean put alot of time into planning the trip, and he considered it a success. Logos, (again the microcausm of Cambodia) was a clear underdog, but you gotta start somewhere, right? LIke this country, start again somewhere.
Julia had a great weekend too, where she played in a basketball tournament on Saturday. She just loves basketball and plays it pretty well. My favorite shot was the tournament winning, after the final buzzer free throw that went in, to win the whole tournament for Logos! Wow, what a finish. My second favorite shot was the 3 pointed, thrown up in desperation, that was a swoosh---nothin' but net! The kind that gives goaches heart attacks!
But now I have to write about the car accident I had last Wed,which makes me reflective and gloomy.
I'm not going to go into a long story about what happened. Unfortunately, the truth doesn't matter here. But of course, I will say that everyone is fine. You can't get injured driving 5 or 10 km an hour, trying to make a u-turn in the school parking lot. But you can get knocked off a moto, if you are driving too fast around a blind corner and into the path of the car making a u turn into the school parking lot!
I said I was not going to go into all the details, nor do I want to continue to plead my innocence, like I have wasted far too much emotional time and energy on since this whole thing happened.
Anyways, suffice it to say, I had a collision with a moto and driver, whiched knocked the driver off his bike, and wedged the side of his moto under my bumper. His ankle was cut up a bit and was bruising, but he was walking around and yelling at me, so he was basically ok.
What ensued next was a classic Cambodian accident scene. Very few people here have any insurance. IT's just not what's done here. When accidents happen, the largest mob of a crowd appears instantly, and everyone starts talking and yelling at each other, and they all somehow come to an aggreement of who's fault it was, and how much money should be paid, right then and there. No one leaves the scene until everything's settled. If the police are called, they have to be paid a cut, and they don't really care about fault, they just want in on the purse, so they rule in favor of getting the most for themselves.
Needless to say, within 30 seconds of the moto and I "crashing," a crowd of about 30 people all came out of basically no where (their homes, I guess), NONE of which witnessed the accident. I am right outside the school gates, and people are starting to arrive to drop off students, so as you can imagine, this is begining to be quite a scene. I'm shaken up, the moto driver is mad, and this woman, who I figure must be his wife due to her involvement in the situation, is SCREAMING at me, and literally flipping out. The scene gets progressively worse, when Dean arrives to help me, and other staff members. We try to clear the accident so trafic can get through, and this woman went nutso on Dean, she started literally grabbing and hitting him to leave the moto as it was. She tried twice to reach into our car and grab the keys out of the ignition. I just held them away from her, I saw her coming. She's screaming in Khmer, others are talking and yelling, and more staff are now coming out to my aid. It was a nightmare.
See why I didn't want to get into this? I've been rehashing it over and over in my mind, and just can't relax about it. IT was just such a lousy way to start the day. Thank God we were right in front of the school, cuz wouldn't you know it, but I managed to hit the "commune" leader's son, (basically a local leader' son). So I think it was him, who had to come into the gate and negotiate with Dan, Dean and Robert, for damages. At least we could be safe and away from the crowd to speak in peace. Seriously, that was such a blessing, you would not believe it.
The angry woman continued on and called the police. THis could have meant my car getting towed into the office and I'd have to pay to get it back, but that never ended up happening. Negotiations continued for over an hour (yes, school had started by now and EVERYONE was talking about it!) and finally a sum was reached for "emotional damages" and we paid the moto driver. The police ruled that I was "clearly" at fault, and that the accident was NOT on school property (where he wasn't supposed to be driving, but it really was so that was just a lie!). The basic law of the road is that cars are held at fault no matter what move a moto makes on them. ANd then, of course, I'm a foreigner. Cash cow! I will automatically be held at fault and paying something to someone.
And I forgot to mention the even more crazy part. The angry woman that came out of her house, was wearing nothing more than a purple satin camisole top and some matching shorts. She was in her negligee pj's or clothing or whatever it was, with no bra, nothing else. ANd she was screaming, I mean yelling and screaming, pushing and pulling people and stuff, hitting the vehicle. She stared at me a number of times, and the anger in her eyes was unbelievable. She seriously has major issues of her own, and it sure showed. We've been praying for her.
So finally, you might ask, where was I all this time? After I parked the car, and the negotiations started, a dear fellow staff member, Mrs. Vuthy, in her stable, Khmer wisdom, simply ushered me away from the scene. She told me to let Robert and Dean deal with it, and I was to get away. So, I sat in the office by myself, mostly crying, and just waiting it all out! THe feminist in me was screaming that this was my problem, and I should be the one taking care of things. Not a single person involved in the negotiations on either side, had even seen what happened! DIdn't anyone want to hear what I had to say??
Unfortunately, as Dean has said many times to console me, the truth doesn't matter. It all just comes down to money. Once the amount was settled, the money was paid, and it was all over, just like that. Our car got fixed the next morning, a straightened out bumper and new headlight, to the tune of $25, and that was it!
Except for my S T R E S S ! haha. Let's just laugh about it, cuz that's about all I can do. The difficulty is in the way this whole thing could have been so simply avoided with caution and less speed. The way what actually happened caused such a calamity at the gate that morning, when level heads could have prevailed, and talks gone peacefully. The need for truth to actually matter, and not anger and the desperation for money. It's been a tough go trying to deal with all these things, for me. Why was there no truth, no honesty, no concern, compassion or forgiveness, no peace, no wisdom?
peace,
truth
wisdom
honesty
love
concern
respect
forgiveness
compassion
Jesus Christ IS ALL those things! If you don't know that, or don't believe that, don't just take my word for it and also, don't just dismiss it! Check it out! Test to see if it's true, or prove that it's not true! Seriously, if you seek it out, you will get answers that will probably knock your socks off! What is so much of the difficulty in this country right now, is the loss of truth, and the perpetuance of lies, deceit and corruption. We honestly pray that the next generation will be educated so that they can think critically beyond the "mob mentality" and ration will prevail. We also hope and pray that through the real truth, Jesus Christ, hearts and minds will be transformed, love will matter, the well being of others (instead of just ourselves) will matter, and honesty will become a value. Our hearts cry out for it.
Well, I'll write again soon. Still lots on the go with more sports and other events coming up this weekend. Canadian Thanksgiving celebrations scheduled for Oct 30, which is better late than never. hoping to see Davie and Patti then, too. Oh, and by the way, Maya has now lost her second tooth, 2 baby teeth gone is leaving space for just the one next one coming in! Yikes. We were warned about this from the dentist! It's all pretty exciting.
We will talk soon. Love yous all. Thanks for listening. Pray for us and pray for Cambodia, the moto driver, the angry woman. Our prayer list is endless.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
A Plea
Hello all and Happy Thanksgiving to all Canadians alike! We have so much to be thankful for, don't we? Even here abroad, the reasons for thanks, perhaps even moreso than actually in Canada, are abundant.
We're back at work now after 4 days break at the beach in Cambodia. It seems everytime we go there, it just gets better and better. We stayed for the 4th time, at a lovely little guesthouse called the Orchidee. EVERY, and I mean every, expat knows about this place. It's run by a dutch fellow, and for $40 a night, our familiy gets a huge family room, 2 king and one double bed, a nice pool to swim in, breakfast included AND it's only a block from the beach. That said, it's only a walk down the street to some local BBQ restaurants, which Dean goes crazy over everytime we come. For $3 a plate, you get delicious skewers, salad and fries. It's really so cheap, I don't know how they make any money. And those workers and cooks run all night long.
And while iT was a big Cambodian holiday, that made for the beach town to be quite busy. But there is a little secret in Sihanoukville called Victory Beach. I shouldn't be telling any of you, because then the secret might be out. But, if you're willing to drive or moto to the other side of the town, there is a small strip of beach that is fronted by a very strange bar type restaurant, that actually has a real airplane in it (yes, the kids can go in and play!) that is built like a real hangar. ANyways, for the price of a beverage or some food, you can use their chairs and sit on the beach all day, in and out of the warm sea water, retreating to the shade under the bent palm trees.
Sound appealing? I'm doing my best.
You see, we need visitors. Well, maybe want them, but we'll leave it at need for now.
This is very likely the last year we will be in Cambodia for a (long) while, and to date, while we have had some visitors come out, they have all been groups or people with alternative reasons for coming out. We'd sure love to have guests that come out to see us, see what we do here, experience our lifestyle, taste even slightly the beautiful things Cambodia and neighboring countries have to offer. We welcome visitors and are outright asking for them.
Ok, Ok, I know. It's not like driving to Grand Beach, or a quick trip over the border to Washington. There a fair chunk of time involved. ANd of course, money: depending on how many people come in your party, it could be pricy. BUT... there are ways around big prices. Did you know? First of all, there's different routes you could take, to get you here, that could save a ton of money. We know a bit about discount airlines and websites that offer some potential deals. But most of all, did you know that money is the LEAST of God's worries??? If there's one thing I've learned over these last three years, watching the provision that has taken place for our family, is that God could care less about money, and it sure doesn't cause him near as much concern as it does us! "Ask, seek and knock," It sure doesn't hurt to ask, does it???
So, perhaps this is the inkling you've been needing, the nudge that will push you over the wall, the fan that flames the spark. Maybe you've thought it in the back of your mind, but just dismissed the idea, considering it just too far fetched. Well my friend, maybe it is time to reconsider. Maybe it is time to find out if the possibilities really lead to dead ends, or if there is a chance, a small window, that could be openned wide.
Well, don't want to shame any of you. Certainly you all know your limits. HOwever, you know, the thought is worth the thought, at the very least. You just never know, you know? I mean, we're out here, and there certainly was a time where that seemed like a total impossibility. And just think of all the scriptures I could quote where God wants to give us good things!
So, we have lots of time over Christmas. We get a good two weeks off then, the weather is superb, so there would be time to travel a bit, see the big city of Phnom Penh. After your flight costs, really there's no accommodations staying at our place, we have lots of room, food is very cheap, and so much of it would be covered at our house. THen, just what you want to spend for spending money, and if you want to go to THailand or ay other close traveling. We can do aloat of booking things if you have ideas.
If Christmas isn't your gig, we will accept visitors ANYTIME! WE have a one week break in April. It's smokin' hot then, so you could have a real taste of hot season in the tropics! Of course, any other time we would have to work, but we can certainly plan to be as free as possible, and set you up with tuk tuk drivers, to get you around on your own. Really, it could be such an excellent opportunity and experience for anyone, families, parent and child, couple, single if you're of the brave variety. We would bend over backwards to entertain you Cambodian style, which is generous. Get your shots, your passport all up to date, a return ticket and get ready for an experience of a lifetime in Southeast Asia!
Sigh. I'm a terrible sales person, always have been. Anyways, we send out the invitation and leave it at that. No, I won't leave it at that. We would really like to have visitors, REALLY! It would sure be a special time for us to have guests, and we welcome any inquiries, even if they are just that. Feel free to ask. No expectations, just alot of prayers!
Ok, that's enough for now. Love yous so much and hope you've all enjoyed a wonderful long weekend with friends and family. (I heard it was warm in Manitoba!)
Take care. God Bless.
We're back at work now after 4 days break at the beach in Cambodia. It seems everytime we go there, it just gets better and better. We stayed for the 4th time, at a lovely little guesthouse called the Orchidee. EVERY, and I mean every, expat knows about this place. It's run by a dutch fellow, and for $40 a night, our familiy gets a huge family room, 2 king and one double bed, a nice pool to swim in, breakfast included AND it's only a block from the beach. That said, it's only a walk down the street to some local BBQ restaurants, which Dean goes crazy over everytime we come. For $3 a plate, you get delicious skewers, salad and fries. It's really so cheap, I don't know how they make any money. And those workers and cooks run all night long.
And while iT was a big Cambodian holiday, that made for the beach town to be quite busy. But there is a little secret in Sihanoukville called Victory Beach. I shouldn't be telling any of you, because then the secret might be out. But, if you're willing to drive or moto to the other side of the town, there is a small strip of beach that is fronted by a very strange bar type restaurant, that actually has a real airplane in it (yes, the kids can go in and play!) that is built like a real hangar. ANyways, for the price of a beverage or some food, you can use their chairs and sit on the beach all day, in and out of the warm sea water, retreating to the shade under the bent palm trees.
Sound appealing? I'm doing my best.
You see, we need visitors. Well, maybe want them, but we'll leave it at need for now.
This is very likely the last year we will be in Cambodia for a (long) while, and to date, while we have had some visitors come out, they have all been groups or people with alternative reasons for coming out. We'd sure love to have guests that come out to see us, see what we do here, experience our lifestyle, taste even slightly the beautiful things Cambodia and neighboring countries have to offer. We welcome visitors and are outright asking for them.
Ok, Ok, I know. It's not like driving to Grand Beach, or a quick trip over the border to Washington. There a fair chunk of time involved. ANd of course, money: depending on how many people come in your party, it could be pricy. BUT... there are ways around big prices. Did you know? First of all, there's different routes you could take, to get you here, that could save a ton of money. We know a bit about discount airlines and websites that offer some potential deals. But most of all, did you know that money is the LEAST of God's worries??? If there's one thing I've learned over these last three years, watching the provision that has taken place for our family, is that God could care less about money, and it sure doesn't cause him near as much concern as it does us! "Ask, seek and knock," It sure doesn't hurt to ask, does it???
So, perhaps this is the inkling you've been needing, the nudge that will push you over the wall, the fan that flames the spark. Maybe you've thought it in the back of your mind, but just dismissed the idea, considering it just too far fetched. Well my friend, maybe it is time to reconsider. Maybe it is time to find out if the possibilities really lead to dead ends, or if there is a chance, a small window, that could be openned wide.
Well, don't want to shame any of you. Certainly you all know your limits. HOwever, you know, the thought is worth the thought, at the very least. You just never know, you know? I mean, we're out here, and there certainly was a time where that seemed like a total impossibility. And just think of all the scriptures I could quote where God wants to give us good things!
So, we have lots of time over Christmas. We get a good two weeks off then, the weather is superb, so there would be time to travel a bit, see the big city of Phnom Penh. After your flight costs, really there's no accommodations staying at our place, we have lots of room, food is very cheap, and so much of it would be covered at our house. THen, just what you want to spend for spending money, and if you want to go to THailand or ay other close traveling. We can do aloat of booking things if you have ideas.
If Christmas isn't your gig, we will accept visitors ANYTIME! WE have a one week break in April. It's smokin' hot then, so you could have a real taste of hot season in the tropics! Of course, any other time we would have to work, but we can certainly plan to be as free as possible, and set you up with tuk tuk drivers, to get you around on your own. Really, it could be such an excellent opportunity and experience for anyone, families, parent and child, couple, single if you're of the brave variety. We would bend over backwards to entertain you Cambodian style, which is generous. Get your shots, your passport all up to date, a return ticket and get ready for an experience of a lifetime in Southeast Asia!
Sigh. I'm a terrible sales person, always have been. Anyways, we send out the invitation and leave it at that. No, I won't leave it at that. We would really like to have visitors, REALLY! It would sure be a special time for us to have guests, and we welcome any inquiries, even if they are just that. Feel free to ask. No expectations, just alot of prayers!
Ok, that's enough for now. Love yous so much and hope you've all enjoyed a wonderful long weekend with friends and family. (I heard it was warm in Manitoba!)
Take care. God Bless.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Musical Mishaps...
Hello there. Must share with you a number of brief musical stories that have taken place over the last week or two. I will be quick as I can, as I NEED to get more sleep and it's late for me even now. But I must share.
Last MOnday night, Dean, Maya and I had the priviledge of attending the finale concert of the 7th ANnual Phnom Penh Music Festival, sponsored by some German contacts. THe concert promised a symphony orchestra composed of Cambodian and international musicians, and the Angkor Youth ORchestra. I couldn't wait.
It was lovely! Maya stayed up late and we closed the show. Here are the funny details. THe Youth orchestra ranged in age from about 6 or 7 year olds, all the way up to late teens. They were all at a very beginner stage and played a number of simple tunes with piano accompaniemnt. There were about 70 in all, I'm sure.
Having a music education as I do, from a first world country, I know how the concerts are supposed to go: Who should sit where, how the tuning takes place, when to clap, etc. THose refined details that only the priviledged get to learn from experience. When the numbers of children started up on stage, it was funny to see a very young, little girl in a very pretty dress, sit in the "concert master" chair (the violinist closest on your left to the audience and the conductor.) This position is reserved for usually the strongest violinist, who tunes the orchestra. I actually considered for a minute that this little thing just might be a prodigy, and that she would actually BE the concert master! (My hope for this country prevails!) Sigh. Needless to say, as the concert began and she played, swinging her little legs on the chair, I realized it was just her seat for the concert! She, nor anybody else, did any tuning before they played! The entire youth orchestra had sat at the back of the auditorium waiting for their chance to come on stage for nearly 45 minutes, and when they finally all arrived in their positions, they didn't even bother to tune at all! The conductor, a man in his late 40's, simply counted them in, and they began their song! You can imagine 70 beginners who haven't tuned to each other. It was beautiful in heart and WONDERFUL to see the hope of a music education future for those younsters involved. Besides, Who needs to tune, when you could instead make music???
The best part about this evening was the preparation for this youth orchestra to go onstage. In perfect Cambodia fashion, the grand piano (donated as was the entire auditorium hall, by the Japanese) needed to be moved from centre stage to the back, to accommodate all the kids. One, two, three.. afew more stage hands headed to the piano. I noted it was on wheels, albeit they looked small. Before my very eyes, after a few more joined, to the total of 7 people, they all took their place around the expensive and precious grand piano, and on the count of 3, they all lifted! Yes, the piano was LIFTED across the stage by at least 7 people all shuffling with tiny steps. I think I gasped, as did others in the audience, then couldn't help but chuckle. It's Cambodia, why should I be surprised? The friendly American fellow in front of me, turned to comment that at least it wasn't being pulled by a moto! Within seconds, the audience chuckled even louder as the "lifting" team, realized they had shuffled the piano to the WRONG corner of the stage, and had to go all the way across to the other side! It was certainly something to see, the piano "floating" across the stage by muscle power!
I am currently teaching middle school music at Logos, where we have for the second year, commenced the beginner band program. We have a handful of trumpets, clarinets and flutes, and we're doing our best to learn to play them well. A very sorry story accomopanies a student who, while during her practicing at home, "lost control" of her clarinet (and I'l leave it at that!) and broke the bottom bell right off, including the attachment part from the other piece. I know, it's confusing. Suffice it to say, it was severely damaged. There is more to this story that I cannot post publically here, but the end of it is, I have seen the clarinet and can do nothing to repair it. It's performing life is over. IN an attempt to cover up the damage, it was "repaired" by someone who did not know it's worth, and the "glue" that was used, may as well have been contact cement, as it won't clean off, scrape off, nothing. (You know, when you WANT glue to stick in this country, it won't. When you want it to wash off, it is IMPOSSIBLE!) SO, no "insurance" to cover the damage here, no "rental company" to run back to. We need another clarinet, and getting them, especially a fine quality one as this one was, is so very difficult.
So to continue this story, I now have to replace this clarinet (to the family's expense unfortunately) and headed off just this past afternoon, to the shop in town that I know carries some inexpensive, Taiwan brand of instruments. The owner had some last year, not sure if he still carried them. Well, I walked in, and a young fellow tried to help me, but he had very little english. THe owner, who eventually came to our aid, has good english and although is a bit of a used-car-salesman type, certainly knows enough of his stuff to run a music shop. So, I ask the first guy for clarinets, he has no idea what I want, then I spy one shoved in the top shelf of a glass cabinet, so I start pointing to it, for him to get it. THe clarinet, a flute and two trumpets, one silver, one brass, are all laying on top of each other, shoved into this shelf. No cases, no stands, no protection, just laying one on top of the other. He takes off each instrument until he finally gets to the bottom of the pile where the clarinet is.(!) Bye this time, the owner with the english gets to me, and I ask if he has any new ones in the case. Yes, he has a few, but this is the "demo" model, so I could try that one. I guess all the instruments on the shelf were the demos! haha.
Sure enough, the clarinet has a reed on it (!) that is a little chipped, but I came prepared, and had my own to try out the instrument! I remove the "demo" reed and attach my own (without actually washing the mouthpiece, now, come to think of it, isn't that gross??? I've been here way to long if I actually think that is Ok. I guess I rationalized that it wouldn't be likely anyone had tried it recently and any germs would probably be dead, plus I could catch something just from the water even if I did wash it!!)
ANyways... I tried it, was ok, and asked the owner for one of the new case ones. So, while he's getting it for me, the original helper with little english asks me in Khmer if I want one, at least I think that's what he asked me, as I assumed he heard that the boss was getting me the new one. But what I think he really asked me was "do you want THIS one?" Because when I said yes, he took the clarinet from me, complete with the "demo" reed replaced, and started to put it into a small plastic bag. Just the clarinet in the plastic bag, like, no case, no paper wrapping, nothing. Just the whole instrument into the bag that only covered three quarters of the instrument! Was I on candid camera? WHen I objected, saying no, no, I'm getting a new one with a case (I used the Khmer word for new) he put the bag back, and, bless his heart, grabbed a larger, black bag, and put the clarinet in. By this time, I was laughing, the owner had arrived with my "cased" instrument, and he too chastised the clerk for trying to sell me the demo model in a plastic bag, and playfully smacked him upside the head. It was all so very amusing, although I'm still not sure the young fellow quite knew what he had done wrong. Sigh...
Such is life in Cambodia. Never a dull moment. My final comment, then to sleep. THe last performance of the night at the finale concert I spoke of, was an orchestra comprised of Cambodians, mostly the teachers of the youth orchestra, and some interntional performers. Clearly, the Cambodians were respected by given the first chairs for everything. Most of them were my age or older, so that meant that perhaps as children, they had had the opportunity to take lessons before they were smitten with the wretched war. I felt both joy and sadness at the completion of the performance (Which was very good!) as they all rose for their applause. Many did not smile, they just stood there with little expression. Maybe their hearts were broken with the same thoughts as mine: Millions of people in this country, and not even enough of a handful of expert musicians to complete their own orchestra! It was so sad, yet the hope is there, and the concert was definitely positive.
Well,that's all for now. Bless you and happy, safe, careful and CLEAN music making!
L
:)
Last MOnday night, Dean, Maya and I had the priviledge of attending the finale concert of the 7th ANnual Phnom Penh Music Festival, sponsored by some German contacts. THe concert promised a symphony orchestra composed of Cambodian and international musicians, and the Angkor Youth ORchestra. I couldn't wait.
It was lovely! Maya stayed up late and we closed the show. Here are the funny details. THe Youth orchestra ranged in age from about 6 or 7 year olds, all the way up to late teens. They were all at a very beginner stage and played a number of simple tunes with piano accompaniemnt. There were about 70 in all, I'm sure.
Having a music education as I do, from a first world country, I know how the concerts are supposed to go: Who should sit where, how the tuning takes place, when to clap, etc. THose refined details that only the priviledged get to learn from experience. When the numbers of children started up on stage, it was funny to see a very young, little girl in a very pretty dress, sit in the "concert master" chair (the violinist closest on your left to the audience and the conductor.) This position is reserved for usually the strongest violinist, who tunes the orchestra. I actually considered for a minute that this little thing just might be a prodigy, and that she would actually BE the concert master! (My hope for this country prevails!) Sigh. Needless to say, as the concert began and she played, swinging her little legs on the chair, I realized it was just her seat for the concert! She, nor anybody else, did any tuning before they played! The entire youth orchestra had sat at the back of the auditorium waiting for their chance to come on stage for nearly 45 minutes, and when they finally all arrived in their positions, they didn't even bother to tune at all! The conductor, a man in his late 40's, simply counted them in, and they began their song! You can imagine 70 beginners who haven't tuned to each other. It was beautiful in heart and WONDERFUL to see the hope of a music education future for those younsters involved. Besides, Who needs to tune, when you could instead make music???
The best part about this evening was the preparation for this youth orchestra to go onstage. In perfect Cambodia fashion, the grand piano (donated as was the entire auditorium hall, by the Japanese) needed to be moved from centre stage to the back, to accommodate all the kids. One, two, three.. afew more stage hands headed to the piano. I noted it was on wheels, albeit they looked small. Before my very eyes, after a few more joined, to the total of 7 people, they all took their place around the expensive and precious grand piano, and on the count of 3, they all lifted! Yes, the piano was LIFTED across the stage by at least 7 people all shuffling with tiny steps. I think I gasped, as did others in the audience, then couldn't help but chuckle. It's Cambodia, why should I be surprised? The friendly American fellow in front of me, turned to comment that at least it wasn't being pulled by a moto! Within seconds, the audience chuckled even louder as the "lifting" team, realized they had shuffled the piano to the WRONG corner of the stage, and had to go all the way across to the other side! It was certainly something to see, the piano "floating" across the stage by muscle power!
I am currently teaching middle school music at Logos, where we have for the second year, commenced the beginner band program. We have a handful of trumpets, clarinets and flutes, and we're doing our best to learn to play them well. A very sorry story accomopanies a student who, while during her practicing at home, "lost control" of her clarinet (and I'l leave it at that!) and broke the bottom bell right off, including the attachment part from the other piece. I know, it's confusing. Suffice it to say, it was severely damaged. There is more to this story that I cannot post publically here, but the end of it is, I have seen the clarinet and can do nothing to repair it. It's performing life is over. IN an attempt to cover up the damage, it was "repaired" by someone who did not know it's worth, and the "glue" that was used, may as well have been contact cement, as it won't clean off, scrape off, nothing. (You know, when you WANT glue to stick in this country, it won't. When you want it to wash off, it is IMPOSSIBLE!) SO, no "insurance" to cover the damage here, no "rental company" to run back to. We need another clarinet, and getting them, especially a fine quality one as this one was, is so very difficult.
So to continue this story, I now have to replace this clarinet (to the family's expense unfortunately) and headed off just this past afternoon, to the shop in town that I know carries some inexpensive, Taiwan brand of instruments. The owner had some last year, not sure if he still carried them. Well, I walked in, and a young fellow tried to help me, but he had very little english. THe owner, who eventually came to our aid, has good english and although is a bit of a used-car-salesman type, certainly knows enough of his stuff to run a music shop. So, I ask the first guy for clarinets, he has no idea what I want, then I spy one shoved in the top shelf of a glass cabinet, so I start pointing to it, for him to get it. THe clarinet, a flute and two trumpets, one silver, one brass, are all laying on top of each other, shoved into this shelf. No cases, no stands, no protection, just laying one on top of the other. He takes off each instrument until he finally gets to the bottom of the pile where the clarinet is.(!) Bye this time, the owner with the english gets to me, and I ask if he has any new ones in the case. Yes, he has a few, but this is the "demo" model, so I could try that one. I guess all the instruments on the shelf were the demos! haha.
Sure enough, the clarinet has a reed on it (!) that is a little chipped, but I came prepared, and had my own to try out the instrument! I remove the "demo" reed and attach my own (without actually washing the mouthpiece, now, come to think of it, isn't that gross??? I've been here way to long if I actually think that is Ok. I guess I rationalized that it wouldn't be likely anyone had tried it recently and any germs would probably be dead, plus I could catch something just from the water even if I did wash it!!)
ANyways... I tried it, was ok, and asked the owner for one of the new case ones. So, while he's getting it for me, the original helper with little english asks me in Khmer if I want one, at least I think that's what he asked me, as I assumed he heard that the boss was getting me the new one. But what I think he really asked me was "do you want THIS one?" Because when I said yes, he took the clarinet from me, complete with the "demo" reed replaced, and started to put it into a small plastic bag. Just the clarinet in the plastic bag, like, no case, no paper wrapping, nothing. Just the whole instrument into the bag that only covered three quarters of the instrument! Was I on candid camera? WHen I objected, saying no, no, I'm getting a new one with a case (I used the Khmer word for new) he put the bag back, and, bless his heart, grabbed a larger, black bag, and put the clarinet in. By this time, I was laughing, the owner had arrived with my "cased" instrument, and he too chastised the clerk for trying to sell me the demo model in a plastic bag, and playfully smacked him upside the head. It was all so very amusing, although I'm still not sure the young fellow quite knew what he had done wrong. Sigh...
Such is life in Cambodia. Never a dull moment. My final comment, then to sleep. THe last performance of the night at the finale concert I spoke of, was an orchestra comprised of Cambodians, mostly the teachers of the youth orchestra, and some interntional performers. Clearly, the Cambodians were respected by given the first chairs for everything. Most of them were my age or older, so that meant that perhaps as children, they had had the opportunity to take lessons before they were smitten with the wretched war. I felt both joy and sadness at the completion of the performance (Which was very good!) as they all rose for their applause. Many did not smile, they just stood there with little expression. Maybe their hearts were broken with the same thoughts as mine: Millions of people in this country, and not even enough of a handful of expert musicians to complete their own orchestra! It was so sad, yet the hope is there, and the concert was definitely positive.
Well,that's all for now. Bless you and happy, safe, careful and CLEAN music making!
L
:)
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